(The following information is taken from Bill Wylson’s latest book, “Hieroglyphs, Golden Plates and Typos” available from White Horse LDS Books.)
Lehi carried with him the Brass Plates of Laban, scriptures recorded on brass plates, as he and his family journeyed toward the Promised Land.
Nephi wrote; “And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers;
“And also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time.” [1]
The Brass Plates of Laban contained;
About 130 B.C., King Benjamin explained to his sons that, "…were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God." [7]
Alma later explained to his son Helaman that the Brass Plates "…have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls." [8]
Mormon did not abridge the Brass Plates of Laban nor did he include them in his record. He did include verses and chapters from them which support and clarify many Biblical doctrines. The Brass Plates established the pattern for the Nephite practice of writing on metal plates and determined the language used in their sacred writings.
The Nephites inscribed their sacred records with early Egyptian hieroglyphs. The most likely source for those characters would have been the Brass Plates of Laban. They included the Old Testament writings up to the time of Zedekiah, along with the writings of other prophets not mentioned in the Old Testament, such as Ezias, Neum, Zenock and Zenos. Nephi tells us that the Brass Plates contained; "…the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents; And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah; And also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah; and also many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah." [9]
We also know that both Lehi and Jeremiah wrote their prophecies on the Brass Plates in the Egyptian language.
The Brass Plates of Laban were likely an original document and carried the accounts written by each of the prophets and kings whose works appear in the record, in the same manner as the writings of the Nephite prophets and kings were added to the Large Plates of Nephi. [10]
As Moses recorded the first five books of the Old Testament, detailing the account of the creation, God’s interactions with his children from Adam to Abraham, the exodus from Egypt and the Mosaic Law given on Mount Sanai, it would only make sense that he would document his writings on material that would endure the test of time, such as brass plates, and serve as a benefit for later generations. Considering that he was not eloquent in Hebrew but educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians and mighty in words in his native Egyptian language, certainly he would have written his account in Egyptian.
Moses’ successors would need to learn to read Egyptian hieroglyphs to be able to interpret the holy writings and the laws given to them on Mount Sanai. It is very likely then that the ensuing prophets and kings recorded their histories and prophecies in hieroglyphs also. It seems reasonable that the Brass Plates of Laban would have been the original scriptures recorded by each of the prophets and kings beginning with Moses down to the time of the prophets Lehi and Jeremiah.
This being the case, it would have been necessary for Lehi to be fluent in Egyptian in order to be able to read the Brass Plates. Nephi not only wrote "…in the language of my father, which consists of… the language of the Egyptians…" [11] But Lehi himself was "…taught in all the language of the Egyptians." [12]
The Egyptian that Lehi and the subsequent Book of Mormon authors were taught was the ancient hieroglyphs of the Brass Plates of Laban. Writing their sacred religious records in Egyptian hieroglyphs may have been as much a habit from their history with the Brass Plates as it was a necessity for saving space on the Plates of Nephi and the abridgements made by Mormon and his son, Moroni.
To learn more, please read “Hieroglyphs, Golden Plates and Typos” by Bill Wylson.
[1] 1 Ne. 3:19, 20.
[2] 1 Ne. 5:11.
[3] 1 Ne. 5:12.
[4] 1 Ne. 5:13 (see also 1 Ne. 3:20).
[5] 1 Ne. 5 14.
[6] 1 Nephi 13:23.
[7] Mosiah 1:3.
[8] Alma 37:8.
[9] 1 Nephi 5:11-13.
[10] Gorton, H. Clay, The Legacy of the Brass Plates of Laban, Horizon Publishers, Bountiful, Utah, 1994, p.14-22.
[11] 1 Nephi 1:2.
[12] Mosiah 1:4.
Lehi carried with him the Brass Plates of Laban, scriptures recorded on brass plates, as he and his family journeyed toward the Promised Land.
Nephi wrote; “And behold, it is wisdom in God that we should obtain these records, that we may preserve unto our children the language of our fathers;
“And also that we may preserve unto them the words which have been spoken by the mouth of all the holy prophets, which have been delivered unto them by the Spirit and power of God, since the world began, even down unto this present time.” [1]
The Brass Plates of Laban contained;
- The five books of Moses, detailing the creation of the world, and the account of our first parents, Adam and Eve; [2]
- A record of the Jews from the beginning, down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah; [3]
- The words of all the holy prophets, delivered to them by the spirit and power of God; [4]
- And a genealogy of Lehi's ancestors. [5]
About 130 B.C., King Benjamin explained to his sons that, "…were it not for these plates, which contain these records and these commandments, we must have suffered in ignorance, even at this present time, not knowing the mysteries of God." [7]
Alma later explained to his son Helaman that the Brass Plates "…have enlarged the memory of this people, yea, and convinced many of the error of their ways, and brought them to the knowledge of their God unto the salvation of their souls." [8]
Mormon did not abridge the Brass Plates of Laban nor did he include them in his record. He did include verses and chapters from them which support and clarify many Biblical doctrines. The Brass Plates established the pattern for the Nephite practice of writing on metal plates and determined the language used in their sacred writings.
The Nephites inscribed their sacred records with early Egyptian hieroglyphs. The most likely source for those characters would have been the Brass Plates of Laban. They included the Old Testament writings up to the time of Zedekiah, along with the writings of other prophets not mentioned in the Old Testament, such as Ezias, Neum, Zenock and Zenos. Nephi tells us that the Brass Plates contained; "…the five books of Moses, which gave an account of the creation of the world, and also of Adam and Eve, who were our first parents; And also a record of the Jews from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah, king of Judah; And also the prophecies of the holy prophets, from the beginning, even down to the commencement of the reign of Zedekiah; and also many prophecies which have been spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah." [9]
We also know that both Lehi and Jeremiah wrote their prophecies on the Brass Plates in the Egyptian language.
The Brass Plates of Laban were likely an original document and carried the accounts written by each of the prophets and kings whose works appear in the record, in the same manner as the writings of the Nephite prophets and kings were added to the Large Plates of Nephi. [10]
As Moses recorded the first five books of the Old Testament, detailing the account of the creation, God’s interactions with his children from Adam to Abraham, the exodus from Egypt and the Mosaic Law given on Mount Sanai, it would only make sense that he would document his writings on material that would endure the test of time, such as brass plates, and serve as a benefit for later generations. Considering that he was not eloquent in Hebrew but educated in the wisdom of the Egyptians and mighty in words in his native Egyptian language, certainly he would have written his account in Egyptian.
Moses’ successors would need to learn to read Egyptian hieroglyphs to be able to interpret the holy writings and the laws given to them on Mount Sanai. It is very likely then that the ensuing prophets and kings recorded their histories and prophecies in hieroglyphs also. It seems reasonable that the Brass Plates of Laban would have been the original scriptures recorded by each of the prophets and kings beginning with Moses down to the time of the prophets Lehi and Jeremiah.
This being the case, it would have been necessary for Lehi to be fluent in Egyptian in order to be able to read the Brass Plates. Nephi not only wrote "…in the language of my father, which consists of… the language of the Egyptians…" [11] But Lehi himself was "…taught in all the language of the Egyptians." [12]
The Egyptian that Lehi and the subsequent Book of Mormon authors were taught was the ancient hieroglyphs of the Brass Plates of Laban. Writing their sacred religious records in Egyptian hieroglyphs may have been as much a habit from their history with the Brass Plates as it was a necessity for saving space on the Plates of Nephi and the abridgements made by Mormon and his son, Moroni.
To learn more, please read “Hieroglyphs, Golden Plates and Typos” by Bill Wylson.
[1] 1 Ne. 3:19, 20.
[2] 1 Ne. 5:11.
[3] 1 Ne. 5:12.
[4] 1 Ne. 5:13 (see also 1 Ne. 3:20).
[5] 1 Ne. 5 14.
[6] 1 Nephi 13:23.
[7] Mosiah 1:3.
[8] Alma 37:8.
[9] 1 Nephi 5:11-13.
[10] Gorton, H. Clay, The Legacy of the Brass Plates of Laban, Horizon Publishers, Bountiful, Utah, 1994, p.14-22.
[11] 1 Nephi 1:2.
[12] Mosiah 1:4.
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